The Early Police Department, Early High School, Early Fire Department, Heart of Texas EMS, Allegiance EMS, Air Evac and Brownwood Regional Medical Center are working together to sponsor the Shattered Dreams program for the Early High School students on November 24 – 25. This program is a dramatic enactment which educates students about the consequences of driving under the influence or texting while driving.
Early Police Chief David Mercer explained that full emergency scenarios, a mock car accident resulting from a drunk driver, will be enacted by students as well as fire, police and EMS. The public and passersby may fear the program is an actual wreck, as the event will be broadcast on police and fire channels. An Air Evac helicopter as well as doctors and nurses at Brownwood Regional Medical Center, a judge and officials at the Brown County Jail will be involved in the program. A few parents will also be involved in the scenario enactment.
“The shattered Dreams program is an emotional program that reenacts a fatality accident caused by a drunk driver,” Mercer explained. “We have also added in the effects of texting and driving in our program.
Shattered dreams program consists of actual students in make up as accident victims. Two students are made to be fatalities, one on scene and one at the hospital after being flown to the emergency room.
The In-Focus video group in Abilene will once again film the program which will be shown to the student body on the 2nd day. Sean Carter (http://whenseanspeaks.com/) will be the guest speaker this year. Carter’s life changed dramatically after a DWI accident where he was the passenger and the intoxicated driver walked away uninjured. Carter travels the country speaking to groups to help everyone understand the consequences of DWI, both mentally and physically.
Mercer explained that the Early High School student council is working hard to make this program a reality. The school has applied for and received several grants which funded approximately 99% of the program.
“This is a great program to help young people understand the dangers of drunk driving and what can happen as a result. We have added in texting and driving with this program to also help bring awareness to the dangers of texting while driving,” said Mercer. “The National Highway transportation safety administration has said texting and driving is like driving the length of a football field 55 mph blind folded. If we can get the message through to just one kid and prevent them from being in an accident while drinking and driving or texting while driving then we have accomplished our goal.”
Pictured above is the mock accident scene during the 2012 Shattered Dreams Program at EHS.
